New reception starters - delayed return

[sunrainwind]

My daughter's new school is not taking reception until the end of September and then only part time for a week. We have just been told this and I'm very unhappy. The guidance is that all children should return in the new school year and I'm not sure why it's ok to delay reception starters - can schools do this? Their reasoning is to give the returners some time in their old classes (which I can't see how it can work with the bubble system anyway).

Reception start being staggered is fairly standard in normal circumstances usually a mid Sept start and part time for a week.

Pushing it back a week to settle the rest of the school makes sense and what I would like ours to do

How awful of them to be considering the return of existing children and easing them into their new classes & teachers [hmmm]

Why do you actually think it matters if your new starter starts two weeks later & dies what must new starters do normally - part time for a period (it's usually longer than a week or two)

I think you're being massively unreasonable to have an issue with this.

Yabvvu! When children return in September they would of been off school for 6 months! Of course they need time to settle in wether it's in their old year or new year but seeing a familiar face in their old teacher will help a huge amount. When my ds returns in September he's having a whole new teacher to him and the school so my ds feels how your child feels and I bet you're a bit apprehensive about leaving your child
With someone they don't know!

Sounds an odd thing to do. I don't understand the reasoning of letting kids return to their old classrooms. When mine started reception it was full day from the get go, and I don't see how covid makes any difference if all kids are to be back (our school has had reception back since June 1 and all years to Y8 are back full time now).

My DS is starting school in September and isn't starting full time until 21st September due to a longer transition for all the reception children.

I'm happy with it, but I'm a sahm so don't have to juggle work which I understand might make things difficult for some parents.

Sorry, but as a parent of a Year 13 in September, who hasn't been set much work by his school, I really can't get upset about this. Your DD will be absolutely fine!

My question was really can they actually cut reception by 3.5 weeks rather than am I being unreasonable to be annoyed.

Every other year at that school the children go back two/three days later than the others and then full time so its not how they normally do it and they are missing 3.5 weeks, then part time, so 4 weeks total less than the older children (I have one older one too and would prefer her to go to her new class but that's another issue!).

I have two issues with it - one being I don't want her missing almost a month of her reception year and secondly we have used all our annual leave and parental leave covering the past few months so I'm not sure where she'll go childcare wise but we will work something out.

You say you don’t want her to miss a month of reception, but this years reception group have lost 3 months, and most are back part time. Yes it’s a bit rubbish but every child has lost some education. Missing a few weeks seems like not a big deal at this point!

Your child will miss three and a half weeks and mine will have lost three and a half months.

Yes they can 'cut reception' because at the moment Schools are doing the best they can. They can't do any more. Some schools whose reception classes should have returned have not yet done so at all.

@blahblue yes the current reception children have missed out, but so have the pre schoolers (also part of EYFS) - but she can't go to pre school in that time so will miss a further month. I do have an older primary child so well aware of the issues they face too but this is not about that.

I can't work out if schools can offer 3.5/4 weeks less education next year for reception year - my google searches aren't finding results so thought someone may know.

Our school is doing the same (I also have one starting in Sept and 2 older ones) I think it's a brilliant idea. Yes it's a struggle for childcare but this is a mad year and one way will not suit everyone.
I think it will excellent for the older ones to have some time to settle back and the old reception class to have some time with their old teacher before they go into y1

Schools can defer the full time start by a reasonable amount normally.
With Covid there is nothing normal about the situation sorry.

They usually start later anyway. My DD started reception full time on 23rd Sept last year, this year's bunch are effectively a week later. God forbid the school want to get the returners settled back in first.

Schools do all sorts for reception starters as it is, some dont go full time until october. No one will bat an eyelid at an end of September start considering the circumstances

In normal times our school has always started the new reception class a couple of weeks after the start of term and has only had them in for a half day to start off with.

Our school has always had a staggered start for reception. They start 2 weeks after the rest of the school, and only do half days for the first week.

Children at school already should be given priority to go into their old classroom and have the noal transition to visit their new class which my kids have always done. They have had six months off and need to be settled first. If they all start together they will be unsettled in new classrooms when they here the new reception children in years upset and crying which is normal it would just upset the current children and lead to more trouble. Let the present children settle in first then get the new kids in. Also the less kids at school the less chance of covid as many workplace are doing.

You're not even there and you have already started moaning.

Yes, they can. It's actually a normal thing to do, to have the reception children in a week or so later than everyone else. Your school may not normally do it, but it's a perfectly normal thing to do. I expect many schools will be taking this approach this year.

My DD starts Reception in September also and is having a staggered start. Doesn't bother me I understand they need to settle the older students too. My older two will go back full time as normal.

@cabbageking thanks - I guess it's what counts as reasonable and you're right it probably does in this situation.

@propervexed my older child is there and I'm asking here not moaning to them. I like the school a lot and volunteer there in normal times.

Intrigued as to how they will manage the bubbles anyway if they're starting in old classrooms/teachers for 3.5 weeks too as they have mixed age group classes but I'm sure they have a plan.

My DDs school are doing first week with old classes and teachers and then they swap. The reception teachers then have a week to prep for the new ones. Are doing their parent teacher meetings the second week and then they start.

@PatriciaHolms a week (or even two) I could understand, but 3.5 weeks before they even start part time (28th September) seems excessive to me.

Teachers are allowed to work across bubbles from September. There will be no issue with the teacher starting with their old class and the switching to their new class the next week.

It’s perfectly normal to do this in ‘normal’ times, let alone following a mass global pandemic.

My children’s school did teacher/TA home visits for the first two weeks of September, then the next week were a series of ‘play and stays’ that you were invited to in small groups, then they did a morning visit without parents, and then they started for mornings only over the next week in groups of 6, building up to a whole class. Then, they did mornings plus lunchtime for the next week, then full time the next. It was mid October by this point.

It was a great transition and mine had a wonderful time at that school. It needed a bit of juggling with work, but I’m glad they did it like that.

@scubalubs87 the children will all have to be mixed up too as their classes have mixed years in them - maybe that's ok too if they're in one bubble (old class) and then start a new bubble a few weeks later.